Can-feeding mechanism.



C. H. AYARS.

CAN FEEDING MECHANISM. I APPLICATION FILED 1AN.30, 1914. 1,190,235.Patented July 4,1916.

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wihwoozo atbomuy/ C. H. AYARS.

CAN FEEDING MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-30,1914.

Patented July 4, 1916.

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q Vi Mmoogo 1) STATES PATENT oEEIcE.

CHARLES H. AYARS, 0F SALEM, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 AYARS MACHINECOMPANY, OF SALEM, NEW JERSEY A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAN-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 30, 1914. Serial No. 815,396.

make use of cans having one end entirely closed and the other entirelyopen, while others use cans one end of which is closed and the other endis provided with a head with a central filling opening through which thematerial is filled into the can. The former, or entirely open-end cans,are troublesome to handle in bringing them into position to be filledbecause they must be upright during filling, and they are generallyrolled on their side through a chute toward the filling machine, whichrequires them to be transferred and turned on their ends. In manyinstances it is desirable to drop the empty cans vertically intoposition to be fed into the filler, but if the cans are entirely open atone end they are liable to telescope if fed end-on-end through aVertical chute and thereby give considerable annoyance.

The present invention therefore has for its object to provide animproved can-feed for can filling machines which will handle cans havingone end entirely open or partly open and which'will enable the cans tobe rolled on their sides in the desirable way and then turn said cansonto their ends with the filling end uppermost.

One practical application of the invention is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings,

trates in side elevation, a portion of. a can-- filling machine and theimproved can-feed and righting mechanism. 'Fig. 3, shows an enlargedside elevation" of the can-feed and righting mechanism. Fig.4,illustrates thesame 111 top plan and onan enlarged scale. Fig. 5, showsan enlarged verticalcross-section through the feed and righting mecha-Patented. July 4., 1916. Z

nism, as taken on the line 55 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6, is a similar view as though taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

While the improved can-feeding and righting mechanism may be employed infilling mechanisms of various forms, I have elected to show the'same inconnection with a filling mechanism like that shown and described in U.S. Patent 944,354 granted to me December 21st, 1909, wherein thematerial to be packed is placed in a main hopper, 7, from which it isintermittently fed in suitable quantities and deposited into travelinghoppers, 8, which successively pass the main hopper. Below the travelinghoppers there is a table, 9, and an endless series of can-engaging arms,10, travel below and at the same speed as the hoppers, 8, so as toreceive the cans fed to the filling mechanism and convey them while inregister with the discharge-ends of the traveling hoppers so as toreceive the measured material from the latter hoppers while the cans andhoppers are both in motion.

In my said prior patent the cans are fed end-on-end because one end ofthe cans therein employed is entirely closed and the other end has ahead with a filling opening. In my present invention however, I preferto utilize a vertical chute, 11, but of such size and shape as toreceive the cans horiz ontally, or on their sides. To do this I providea horizontal conveyer table, 12, which is suitably sustained at one sideof the filling machine proper, and at one end of which there are twovertically-extending legs or supports, 13, on which the vertical chute,11, is sustained in a somewhat elevated position; The table, 12, has acentral longitudinal guide groove, 14, in which the upper stretch of anendless belt or chain-conveyer, 15, travels. -At opposite ends, thetable has sprockets, 16,, and, 17, respectively,--the former to guideand direct the endless conveyer into the groove, 14, and the latter toguide said conveyer as it leaves said groove. A driving sprocket, 18, isdriven from a shaft, 19, of the filler mechanism and imparts an endlessconveying motion to the conveyer. The .conveyer is provided with aseries of can-engaging arms,'20, which extend vertically as they aredrawn over the table and push the emptycans along as they advanca- Onthe outer side, the conveyer table has an upwardly-extending guide wall,

21., whose forward end, 22, inclines upslightly overhang orproject overthe cylin dric wall of the can-body as clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 5.As the guide-rail extends away from the vertical hopper it graduallystra-ightens andfinally becomes vertical.

By referring to Fig. 4, of the drawing it Will be noted that theouterguide Wall, 21, does not extend parallel ,with theconveyer and the guidegroove, 14, in the table, but approaches and nears the said conveyer andgroove as it recedes from the vertlcal feed chute.

4 and 6 of the drawings, that for a portion of its length, the uppersurface of the table, 12, has a beveled edge, 27 ,at opposite sides ofthe guide groove, 14, and conveyer. The

purpose of these beveled surfaces is to per mit the edge of the can,when turning from the horizontal to the vertical position to readilypass over the groove and conveyer Without catching on said edges, as canbe seen best in Fig. 6, of the drawing.

At the inner end of the guide-rail, 23, there is provided a verticalshaft, 28,. on which a rotary can-feed device, 29, is mounted. In thepresent instance this feed device consists of a head having a pluralityof arms 30, which swing through a circular path and project over the endof conveyer table, 12. The revolution of these arms is so timed as toinsure that an arm will swing across the table and conveyer, 15, betweeneach two can-pusher arms, 20, of the conveyer, so as to engage the cansjust as the conveyer arms,- 20, disengage them and feed them aroundthrough a guide-way, 31, and push one can at a time onto the table, 9,of the filling machine and in the path of one of the can-engaging arms,10, as shown in Fig. 1.

In operation, the empty cans, 32, are pref+ erably rolled from a sourceof supply and turned into the vertical chute, 11, while, beingmaintained on their cylindric walls. The lowermost can will rest on thetable, 12, between two conveyer arms, 20, so that as the conveyertravels the arm behind said lowermost can will push and roll the latterfrom beneath the vertical stack of cans, When the cans are deposited onthe table, 12, the open'orv partly open ends will face outward, and asthe arms, 20,-push the cans forward, rolling them while doing so, the

It will also be noted by referring a) Figs.

- open or filling ends will ride up onto the inclined forward end, 22,of the guide wall, 21, while the closed end, 24, will roll in contactwith the tilted end, 25, of the elevated guide rail, 23, at the innerside of the table. As the cans are rolled forward, their filling endswill be elevated more and more by the guide wall, 21, and the closedends, 24, will as to make room for the arms, 30, of the rotary feeddevice to swing behind them without striking the conveyer arms, 20, andas the latter arms disengage the cans the arms, 30, sweep them into andaround the curved guide-way, 31. In practice, it has been founddesirable to have a can last fed remain in the end of guide-way, 31,until the next can is fed around, which latter can will engage said lastfed canand push it onto the table, 9, of the filling machine.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patenti 1. n a can-feeding and-righting mechanism thecombination with a chute, of a conveyer moving in a straight line frombeneath the chute, said conveyer to receive empty cans on their sides;means for actuating the conveyer and means at one side and independentof the convever for righting the cans asthey are advanced with theconveyer.

'2. In a can-feeding. and righting mechanism the combination with aflexible conveyer moving in a straight line to receive empty cans ontheir sides, of stationary means at one side and independent of theconveyer for raising one end of each can in succession and stationarymeans at the other side and'independent of the conveyer for engagingtheother end of each can while the first-named end is being raised.

3. In a can-feeding and righting mechanism the combination with aflexible straight conveyer to receive empty cans on their sides, ofstationary means independent of and at one side of the flexible conveyerfor engaging and gradually raising one end of each can as it advancesand stationary means also independent of and at the opposite side of theflexible conveyer for engaging the other end of each can while itsfirst-named end is'being raised. Y

4. In a can-feeding-and righting mechanism the combination with ahorizontal table to receive empty cans on their sides, of a flexibleconveyer extending longitudinally of the table and depressed withrespect to the latter; can-engaging arms attached to and carried by theconveyer and projecting above the table and means for engaging andturning one end of each can uppermost as the cans are moved over thetable by the said arms.

5. In a can-feeding and righting mechanism the combination with ahorizontal table to receive empty cans on their sides, of a flexibleconveyer extending longitudinally of the table and depressed withrespect to the latter; can-engaging arms attached to and carried by theflexible conveyer and projecting above the table; an inclined guide wallextending longitudinally at one side of the conveyer for engaging andturning one end of the cans uppermost as they are moved longitudinallyover the table, and means at the opposite side of the flexible conveyerfor engaging the other ends of the cans.

6. In a can-feeding and righting mechanism the combination with ahorizontal table to receive empty cans on their sides and having alongitudinal passage for a conveyer and also provided with beveledsurfaces at opposite sides of the passage, of a conveyer movable throughthe table passage and between said beveled surfaces and means forturning. the cans from their sides and onto their ends as they pass thebeveled surfaces.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.1

r CHARLES H. AYARS.

Witnesses:

O. N. Vio'roR, MARY D. BANKS.

